Today is Saturday, October 3, 2020.

On this day in 1981, Northern Ireland's H.Block hunger strike ended after 217 days.

The protest carried out by members of the Irish Republican Army resulted in significant

prison reform and peace agreements.

Welcome to today in True Crime, a podcast original.

Today, we're covering the official conclusion to one of Ireland's most historic hunger strikes,

a movement seeking better treatment for inmates at Longcash Prison.

Now, let's head back to October 3, 1981.

After 55 days with no food, 23-year-old Pat Shien hardly had the strength to roll over in his hospital bed.

He weighed 105 pounds and had gone almost totally blind,

rotting away in the Longcash Detention Center's hospital in Northern Ireland.

The morning light pooled in from a nearby window and pat remembered what he'd heard the night before,

had it actually happened? He'd been informed that the hunger strikers had decided to officially

stop their protest. Due to the effects of extreme starvation, Pat only had 48 to 72 hours left to live,

but the idea of halting the strike disappointed him. He'd lost 10 comrades in the summer months,

all fellow prisoners from the Irish Republican Army who had laid down their lives,

fighting for the cause. If the IRA's remaining volunteer strikers gave up now,

Pat feared the losses they'd already taken would be in vain. But across the prison complex,

imprisoned IRA member, 30-year-old Brendan McFarlane,

knew continuing on in their efforts would be a moot point. In the previous days,

mothers had told prison officials that they would intervene should their sons fall unconscious.

Undermined by their soft hearts, their opposition had no reason to honor their demands.

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